


A Ghost of Christmases Past

by hookedphantom



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who: Eighth Doctor Adventures - Various Authors
Genre: I set this in the canon where Jamie has already met 6, M/M, just so you know, so that's why he doesn't bat an eye about the doctor having a new face
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-28
Updated: 2017-12-28
Packaged: 2019-02-22 22:22:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13176426
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hookedphantom/pseuds/hookedphantom
Summary: Eight finds themself stuck on earth, in scotland, 1760. They also find themself visiting an old friend.





	A Ghost of Christmases Past

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you like it, homeiswheretheheartsare! It's very late but I tried my very best!

Eight stared at the navigation screen of the TARDIS. They were supposed to be on Gallifrey, protecting children. Weary from the Time War, they wiped some dirt off their face and leaned on the TARDIS console. 

Earth. Scotland. 1760. Christmas Day. 

It felt like they should remember something about Scotland in 1760, but it wasn’t coming to them. Too many memories in the silly Time Lord brain. 

“Why are we here?” Eight whispered to the TARDIS. It hummed softly under their fingers, an unexpected response. They knew full well that the TARDIS wouldn’t let them leave until they had sorted out why they were here. 

They pushed the TARDIS doors open and wandered out into the snow. The happy sounds of Yule was what they were expecting, but it was not so. There was silence. 

Already seemingly concerned, Eight began walking across the lush highlands. It wasn’t long before a high pitched, metallic, screaming sound pierced the silence. They took off running towards the source of the noise. 

It didn’t take long before they caught a glimpse of two metallic heads in the distance. The metallic heads appeared to be moving quickly, so Eight quickened the pace of their run. 

They were finally catching up when they saw that the two metallic beings were carrying an angry Scottish man between the two of them. 

They remembered what was important about Scotland in 1760. James Robert McCrimmon. 

Jamie was struggling against the two Cybermen. 

“I willnae be converted!” he shouted at them. 

Eight lifted their sonic screwdriver towards the Cybermen and began to speak. They had never seen Cybermen this advanced before. Sleek, metallic bodies turned towards the Doctor. 

“Release the nice Scottish man, and no harm will come to you,” they spoke. 

“You, too, will be converted,” one of the cybermen responded in a tinny, detached voice.

“I willnae be converted!” Jamie repeated, aiming a kick at the cyberman who hadn’t spoken, breaking free from their grasp and running immediately towards the Doctor. The Doctor turned on their sonic screwdriver, letting off a high pitched frequency that appeared to pain the Cybermen. They then grabbed Jamie’s hand, running in the opposite direction of the cybermen. 

“Thank ye for the distraction! My name’s Jamie, nice to meet ye!” Jamie spoke, continuing to run beside the Doctor. 

“I am well aware of that fact, do you know who I am? Do you remember me?” they responded. 

“I’m sorry, I do not remember yer face. I think I would know if we had met. Ye do remind me of a friend of mine, though. Have you ever met him? The Doctor?” 

They smiled at Jamie, pausing their sprint away from the Cybermen. “My dear friend, I am the Doctor. I have a new face.” 

Jamie smiled back. “Ye look even more mad than ye did before, if that’s possible. Nice to see ye again.” Jamie then appeared to realize that they were still holding hands, and quickly pulled his hand away. 

“I remember the metal men, Doctor. On the moonbase, I thought they were the phantom pipers. They look different. What do they want?”

Eight thought about this. “How many citizens have they taken already?” 

Jamie shook his head. “I dinnae know, Doctor. They came across me in the hills. What are we going to do?” 

They gave Jamie a grim smile. “We’re going to go back to talk to them. In their ship. Find out what they want.” 

Jamie’s face betrayed his feelings about their plan. “Didnae we just run away from them? Now we are running back towards them? Ach, Doctor, you make no sense.” 

“Ok, change of plan. You stay here, and I go back to their ship and find out what it is they want.” Eight’s smile grew, they gave Jamie a thumbs up, and without Jamie having a chance to respond, they took off back towards the cybermen’s ship. 

Jamie shook his head, but followed. He didn’t want The Doctor getting into any trouble without him. 

Jamie caught up with The Doctor just as they were holding up their sonic screwdriver to open up the door to the ship. The pair slowly entered the ship, side by side, the Doctor holding up their sonic screwdriver and Jamie holding up a sword which he had pulled from a holster. It wasn’t long before a pair of Cybermen stopped them, kidnapped them, and brought them into a very large room. In the center of the room sat a large, black, cyber head. 

The pair were pushed towards the cyber head, and it spoke. 

“You are the Doctor, and James Robert McCrimmon. You have come to stop the cyber takeover of earth. You will be converted.” 

Jamie opened his mouth to protest, but the Doctor put a finger over their lips and Jamie closed his mouth once again. 

“What do you want with this planet?” the Doctor inquired. 

“We want to upgrade the citizens. We will start with Scotland, and then the rest of the world. Their emotions will be removed and their bodies will be upgraded. A better life, a better existence.” 

The cyber head continued to speak. “You will be converted. Step forward.” 

Jamie leaned towards the Doctor and whispered in their ear. “Remember what ye did before? With the sound?”

The Doctor winked, turned around, retrieved his sonic screwdriver from the hand of a cyberman, and turned it on. The sonic frequency caused every single cyberman to scream out in pain. Sparks began to fly on the inside of the ship, and Jamie grabbed the Doctor’s hand. 

“Run.” 

They smiled at each other, gripped their hands tighter, and ran from the ship. They hadn’t been out the doors for a minute before the entire ship exploded, sending them both flying forward onto the ground. 

To Jamie’s surprise, the Doctor began to laugh. Their laugh was infectious. Jamie began to laugh as well. 

“Just like old times.” Jamie said. 

The Doctor smiled back. “It has been an honour to have one last adventure with you, Jamie McCrimmon. Although, it might not be the last for you.”

“The same to ye, Doctor. An honour.”

Jamie stood up and offered a hand to the Doctor, helping them to stand up. 

“Thank ye for saving earth from the cybermen. I suppose ye must be on yer way though.”

“Yes, I suppose so. Farewell, Jamie McCrimmon.” The Doctor leaned forward and gave Jamie a soft kiss before pulling away and heading back towards the TARDIS. 

As the Doctor opened the doors of the TARDIS, they considered how easy of a fix that was. No failing plans, no last minute discoveries of secret abilities, just in and out. 

Almost too easy, they considered. 

The TARDIS hummed contently underneath their fingertips. 

“Oh, silly, silly Doctor.” they muttered to themselves. 

It hadn’t been a life or death situation, but it had been exactly what they needed. Something to take their mind off the Time War, to remember happiness of past years. A short adventure simply meant to lift the Doctor’s soul. A sliver of hope in the darkest time of their life. 

The TARDIS always knew exactly what they needed. 

The Doctor smiled and set a new course for Gallifrey, feeling as if their soul had regenerated. The hum of the TARDIS grew louder and more joyful, into a soft Christmas Carol. 

Joy to the World, indeed.


End file.
